Some Indian Food recipes and Kitchen Tips

Tips on Indian Cooking

When I started cooking first I had to learn everything by trial and error. These are some of my recipes for my daughters who are both newly married [:-)] whenever they feel nostalgic for Mom's cooking. Others are also welcome !

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Curd onion Raitha

Vengaya Thayir Pachadi:


1 cup thick curd
1 onion sliced thin
1/2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped fine
1 green chilli chopped fine (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all these well. It goes well with any type of biryani or Pulao as a side dish.

Potato Peas Vadai

Potato 2, cooked, peeled and mashed
Peas 1 cup, cooked and mashed
cornflour 2tsp
chilli powder 1/2 tsp
gonger garlic paste 1/2 tsp
fried gram powdered 1/2 cup
Grated cheese 2tsp
salt 1tsp Oil for frying

Method;

Mix all the above ingredients except the fried gram powder into a soft dough.
Add the fried gram powder and make a stiff dough, checking for salt to taste.
Heat oil and deep fry into vadai shape.
Serve hot with tomato ketch up.

Green Peas Pulao

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmathi Rice, soaked for half an hour, washed and drained just before cooking
1 cup Green peas
2 Green chillis, slit lengthwise
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
6 cloves of garlic and 1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped finely (or ground coarsely)
To season:
1 tbsp oil
1 inch piece cinnamon
2 cloves
1 cardamom
1 tsp cumminseeds

Method:
Heat the oil in a non stick deep pan.
Put in the seasoning ingredients together
When they crackle, add the chopped mint and coriander
Add the green chillis and ground garlic and ginger
Add the drained rice and saute on low flame till it changes colour
Add 2 to 2 and a half cups water and 1 tsp salt
Bring to a boil and then reduce the flame and cooke covered.
When rice is half done, stir in the peas and cook further.
When it is done, take it off the heat and serve hot with onion curd  pachadi.(Raitha) or plain Raitha



Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Sura Puttu

SURA fish (Shark)  1/4 kg

Sambar Onions 150 gm (Chopped fine)
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Green Chilli 3, slit lengthwise
Garlic 10 cloves, peeled and chopped
Curry leaves 1sprig
1 tsp aniseeds crushed coarsely
Salt to taste (about 1 to 2 tsp)
Oil 2 tsp
Method:
Clean, wash and steam or cook the fish with half the salt and turmeric.
Cool it, remove the bones and crush it into crumbs.
Heat oil in a wok and put in the crushed aniseeds and curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions, garlic and green chillis and saute till transparent.
Add the fish and the balance salt and mix well.
Reduce the flame and keep mixing it on slow fire till it resembles scrambled eggs.
This sura puttu is good for lactating mothers.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Instant sevai


There are many instant sevai varieties available in the market like rice sevai, ragi sevai and millet sevai which are easy to make.
For any of these instant sevai, the preparation is the same>
Place the sevai in a bowl.
Boil enough water to immerse the sevai and pour it into the bowl.
After a minute drain it onto a colander and pour cold water onto it to stabilize it, just as you do for pasta.
After the water is drained spread the sevai on a plate and let it cool.
Follow the steps for making uppuma, lemon rice, coconut rice etc., and use the sevai in lieu of rice and you get sevai upma, lemon sevai, coconut sevai etc.,

Sweet Sevai:
For sweet sevai, heat half cup sugar and half cup grated coconut in a pan over slow fire with a sprinkling of water. Add half tsp of cardamom powder for flavor Mix in the sevai and enjoy it as a sweet dessert preparation.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Bajra/ Millet/Maize Dosai


You can use idli batter for making some more dishes out of it.

ForBajra or millet dosai, take 1 cup of the bajra/millet/corn flour (readily available in super markets and healthfood stores) and 2 tbsp of idli batter. Mix well. Add 1 tsp of jeera, 1 tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp each of chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves and salt to taste. Add enough water to make a pouring consistency.

(If you don't have idli batter, substitute 1/2 cup of rice flour, 1 tbsp of maida and 1 tbsp of sour curds.)

Make dosas using the method followed for adai.
 
In Tamil these flours are called 'kambu/ கம்பு  for millet and cholam/ சோளம்  for maize along with ragi which is called kezhvaragu/கேழ்வரகு .